§ Lord Tebbitasked Her Majesty's Government:
What conversations the Minister for Competitiveness in Europe has had with journalists in the last six months concerning the single currency; and
Whether it is part of the duty of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe to brief representatives of the Financial Times newspaper on government thinking.
§ Lord Simon of HighburyI have had conversations with a number of journalists on a variety of subjects related to my ministerial responsibilities. None of these took place between 10–29 September, when I was in Portugal on holiday.